To save cost in a home residential solar power system, many home owners will opt for a DIY system. One of the components of the solar system that you can build on your own is the solar panel. This is a good idea because the solar panels alone will make up for more than 60 percent of the total project cost. Imaging how much money you’ll save by pre-making the panel on your own.
DIY Solar Panel 101
If you are building your first solar panel, here are a few basic things you have to know. Solar cells are measured by their power in watts.
To get the wattage figure, first, you must know the Photovoltaic (PV) cell Voltage (V) and Amps. Amps are commonly measured as current and is representation by I.
To get the wattage, you have to use a simple formula.
Volt x Amps = Watt (V x A = W)
The formula above is electrical engineering 101.
Measuring the Voltage and Current
How do you get the voltage and amps of a solar cell? That’s easy, you use a [tag-tec]multi-meter[/tag-tec].
To take the readings with a multi-meter, it is best to get it when the PV cell is under direct sun light. Any shadow casts over the cell will affect the readings.
Getting Solar Cell Output With Multi-meter
Here’s how you do it. First, hold the cell perpendicular to the sun. Next, touch the multi-meter negative and positive leads to the negative and positive electrodes on the cell.
The negative side of the PV cell is the bluish color surface while the positive side is at the back.
To make the process of measuring the readings from the solar cell easier, it is recommended for you to make a “testing block”. A testing block is basically a piece of copper plate with a wooden strip stopper.
The copper plate has to be big enough to accommodate a whole solar cell. Place the cell flat with the positive side touching the copper surface.
Now that the PV cell is flat and facing the sun, touch the negative lead of the multi-meter on the electrodes and the positive lead on the copper plate. That should get you the voltage and current readings of the cell.
Is it possible to make a DIY solar panel with a budget of less than $100? Yes you can by following a few simple instructions. If you want to know how to make an inexpensive solar panel, check out the Green DIY Energy program.
The guide comes with a series of High Definition (HD) instructional videos on how to construction your own solar module. For a comprehensive Green DIY Energy review, go to www.greendiyenergyreviews.com